Future Farmers of America (FFA) is much more than an elective interest in school. It is a source applied to one’s life that will benefit and provide one with the necessary knowledge and experience to succeed and thrive independently. The National FFA Organization was founded in 1928 by Henry C. Groseclose, Edmund Magill, Walter Stephenson Newman, and Harry Sanders, a group of adolescent farmers hoping to make an impact. It was that year, on Nov. 20, that 33 delegates from 18 states gathered around the Hotel Baltimore at 11th and Baltimore St in Kansas City, MO. There, the FFA organization was constructed. Their quest was to prepare future generations for the challenges and obstacles of feeding and growing populations. Because of their passion and hard work, it is known that agriculture stretches far beyond just farming and livestock; it’s a science, a business and livelihood, and a form of art and precision.

CATTLE Prospect Steers Class 1, Charolais: 1 & Champion- Aubrey Sturgeon Class 2, Hereford: 1 & Champion- Braxton Holt Class 3, Simmental: 1 & Champion- Brett Sturgeon Class 4, Crossbred: 1 & Champion- Trapper Visnieski Grand Champion- Brett Sturgeon Reserve Grand Champion- Trapper Visnieski Market Steers Class 1, Angus: 1 & Champion- Keegan Holt Class 2, Maine-Anjou: 1 & Champion- Bentlee Lester Class 3, Red Angus: 1 & Champion- Keegan Holt Class 5, Crossbred: 1 & Champion- Paisley Visnieski Class 5, Crossbred: 2 & Reserve Champion-Braxton Holt Grand Champion Market Steer- Paisley Visnieski Reserve Grand Champion Market Steer-Bentlee Lester Heifers Class 1, Angus: 1 & Champion- Denton Cook Class 2, Angus: 1- Bentlee Lester, 2- Keegan Holt Class 3, Angus: 1 & Reserve Champion-Bracket Ridling Class 4, Chianina: 1 & Champion- Keegan Holt Class 5, Polled Hereford: 1 & Champion- Braxton Holt Class 6, Hereford: 1 & Reserve Champion-Benjamin Jacks Class 7, Hereford: 1 & Champion- Liberty Lester Class 8, Maintainer: 1 & Champion- Denton Cook Class 9, Red Angus: 1 & Champion- Keegan Holt Class 10, Shorthorn: 1 & Champion- Parker Jacks, 2 & Reserve Champion- Benjamin Jacks Class 11, Shorthorn: 1- Josh Wilson Class 12, Shorthorn Plus: 1 & Reserve Champion-Joe Wilson Class 13, Shorthorn Plus: 1 & Champion-Parker Jacks Class 14, Simmental Influence: 1 & Champion- Bracket Ridling Class 15, Commercial: 1 & Reserve Champion- Braxton Holt Class 16, Commercial: 1 & Champion- Waver- ly Schneberger Grand Champion Heifer- Waverly Schneberger Reserve Grand Champion Heifer- Parker Jacks SWINE Gilt Class 1, Berk: 1 & Champion- Brylie Reeves, 2 & Reserve Champion- Blade Baldonado Class 1, Chester: 1 & Champion- Aubbri Johnston Class 1, Duroc: 1 & Champion- Brylie Reeves Class 2, Duroc: 1 & Reserve Champion- Noah Farris, 2- Jayden Barten Class 1, Spot: 1 & Champion- Braden Webb Class 1, York: 1 & Champion- Jayden Barten Class 1, Z-Commercial: 1- Aubbri Johnston, 2Maxx Mcdaugale, 3- Priscilla Sambrano Class 2, Z-Commercial: 1- Luke Rozell, 2- Braden Webb, 3- Maycee Mcdaugale, 4- Noah Farris Class 3, Z-Commercial: 1 & Reserve Champion-Annie Schuster, 2- Briggs Reeves, 3- Annie Schuster Class 4, Z-Commercial: 1 & Champion- Layne Allen, 2- Luke Rozell, 3- Jaiden Dobbs Grand Champion Gilt- Layne Allen Reserve Grand Champion Gilt- Brylie Reeves Barrow Class 1, Berk: 1 & Champion- Maddux Funkhouser, 2- Braden Schmidt Class 2, Berk: 1 & Reserve Champion- Amber Craig, 2-Ivan Layton, 3- Luke Rozell Class 3, Chester: 1 & Champion- Cambree Moore Class 4, Chester: 1 & Reserve Champion- Corben Dobbs, 2- Jayden Barten Class 5, Duroc: 1- Braden Webb Class 6, Duroc: 1- Braden Schmidt, 2- Ivan Layton Class 7, Duroc: 1 & Champion- Delainee Moore, 2 & Reserve Champion- Aubbri Johnston Class 8, Duroc: 1- Blade Baldonado Class 9, Hamp: 1- Maddux Funkhouser, 2- Gabby Espinosa Class 10, Hamp: 1- Briggs Reeves, 2- Kylie Fuller, 3- Bailey Beggs Class 11, Hamp: 1 & Champion- Delainee Moore, 2 & Reserve Champion- Layne Allen Class 12, Poland: 1- Noah Farris Class 13, Poland: 1 & Champion- Delainee Moore, 2 & Reserve Champion- Dylan Edison Class 14, Spot: 1- Maxx Mcdaugale Class 15, Spot: 1 & Champion- Cheyann Edison, 2 & Reserve Champion- Briggs Reeves Class 16, York: 1 & Champion- Aubbri Johnston, 2 & Reserve Champion- Noah Farris, 3- Briggs Reeves Class 17, York: 1- Cambree Moore, 2-Lydia Toro Class 18, Z-Crossbred: 1 & Reserve Champion-Aubbri Johnston, 2- Maycee Mcdaugale, 3 Braden Schmidt Class 19, Z-Crossbred: 1 & Champion- Layne Allen Grand Champion Barrow- Layne Allen Reserve Grand Champion Barrow- Delainee Moore WETHER LAMBS Market Wether Class 1, Haired: 1 & Champion- Ryder Callahan Class 2, Haired: 1 & Reserve Champion- Ryder Callahan Class 3, Hampshire: 1- Kopen Moles, 2- Karlee Callahan, 3- Brayden Holt, 4- Keegan Holt Class 4, Hampshire: 1 & Reserve Champion-Jacob Baker, 2- Braxton Holt, 3- Kaylin Holt, 4- Rowdy Waugh Class 5, Hampshire: 1 & Champion- Clay Randall, 2- HB Wright Class 6, Natural: 1- Ryder Callahan Class 7, Natural: 1 & Champion- Keegan Holt, 2 & Reserve Champion- Karlee Callahan Class 8, Shrop: 1- Brayden Holt, 2- Braxton Holt Class 9, Shrop: 1 & Reserve Champion- Kaylin Holt, 2- Braxton Holt Class 10, Shrop: 1 & Champion- Cambree Moore Class 11, Southdown: 1 & Champion- Zada Baker Class 12, Suffolk: 1 & Champion- Jacob Baker Class 13, White Face: 1 & Reserve Champion-Kaylin Holt Class 14, White Face: 1- Karlee Callahan, 2Brayden Holt Class 15, White Face: 1 & Champion- Zada Baker, 2- Rowdy Waugh Class 16, Black Face: 1 & Champion- Delainee Moore Class 17, Black Face: 1 & Reserve Champion-Jacob Baker, 2- Keegan Holt Grand Champion Market Wether- Clay Randall Reserve Grand Champion Market Wether- Delainee Moore EWES Ewe Class 1, Hampshire: 1 & Reserve Champion-Kaylin Holt, 2- Karlee Callahan Class 2, Hampshire: 1 & Champion- Kinley Pruett, 2- HB Wright Class 3, Hampshire: 1- Kaylin Holt, 2- Katherine Wright Class 4, Natural: 1 & Champion- Katherine Wright Class 5, Natural: 1 & Reserve Champion- Keegan Holt Class 6, Shrop: 1 & Champion- Zada Baker Class 7, Z-Commercial: 1 & Reserve Champion- Jacob Baker, 2- Brayden Holt Class 8, Z-Commercial: 1- Zada Baker, 2- Sage Waugh Class 9, Z-Commercial: 1 & Champion- Layne Allen , 2- Sage Waugh Class 10, Z-Commercial: 1- Keegan Holt, 2Karlee Callahan Class 11, Z-Commercial: 1- Braxton Holt Grand Champion Ewe- Kinley Pruett Reserve Grand Champion Ewe- Layne Allen DOE & WETHER GOAT Doe Class 1, Breeding Doe: 1- Liberty Bohanan Class 2, Breeding Doe: 1-Madison Church Class 3, Breeding Doe: 1- Madison Church, 2Liberty Bohanan Class 4, Breeding Doe: 1- Sage Waugh, 2- Caylan Sanders Grand Champion Breeding Doe -Madison Church Reserve Grand Champion Breeding Doe- Madison Church Wether Goat Class 1, Wether Goat: 1- Kopen Moles Class 2, Wether Goat: 1-Grace Rose, 2- Dayson Corbin Class 3, Wether Goat: 1- Sayde Allen, 2- Hazen Pruett Class 4, Wether Goat: 1- Grace Rose Grand Champion Wether Goat- Sayde Allen Reserve Grand Champion- Hazen Pruett BROILERS Broilers: 1-Luke Schneberger, 2- Rook Walker, 3- Emma Ray, 4- Callie Griffith Grand Champion Broilers- Luke Schneberger Reserve Grand Champion Broilers- Rook Walker SHOWMANSHIP Lamb Showmanship: Junior Lamb Showman-Kinley Pruett, Intermediate Lamb Showman-Zada Baker, Senior Lamb Showman- Jacob Baker Goat Showmanship: Junior Goat Showman-Hazen Pruett, Intermediate Goat Showman-Sayde Allen, Senior Goat Showman- Madison Church Swine Showmanship: Junior Swine Showman-Brylie Reeves, Intermediate Swine Showman-Briggs Reeves, Senior Swine Showman- Luke Rozell Beef Showmanship: Junior Beef Showman-Denton Cook, Intermediate Beef Showman-Paisley Visnieski, Senior Beef Showman- Keegan Holt Champion Showmanship: Champion Lamb Showman- Kinley Pruett, Champion Goat Showman- Madison Church, Champion Swine Showman- Luke Rozell, Champion Beef Showman, Paisley Visnieski Master Showman- Madison Church AG MECHANICS Decorative Welding: 1- Dalton Davis, 2- Enidino Mendoza, 3- Evan Donaldson Repair Welding: 1- BFDC FFA, 2- Trevor Teague New Build: 1- Tyger Gillespie, 2- Dylan Walker Grand Champion Ag Mechanics- Tyger Gillespie Reserve Grand Champion Ag Mechanics- BFDC FFA

The Cordell Ag Booster Club hosted a two day swine jackpot on January 21st and 22nd called “The Clash of The Counties.” Saturday’s show was a closed jackpot available for kids showing from Washita, Custer, Beckham, and Roger Mills Counties. Not only did were there multiple class winners but at that show there were the following highlighted results: Brylie Reeves- Reserve Grand Champion Gilt Overall, Champion Duroc Gilt, Champion Berkshire Gilt, Champion Spot Gilt, Reserve Champion Hampshire Barrow.

Oklahoma’s hard red winter wheat harvest is complete as farmers close the book on a season plagued by drought. Amanda de Oliveira Silva, Oklahoma State University Extension small grains specialist, said yields varied across the state depending on rainfall.

Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom hosted a three-day educational and beneficial adventure that toured agricultural venues in western Oklahoma: Ag on Route 66, Way Out West. The escapade began June 7 as 53 teachers from across the state loaded a tour bus along with staff members from Ag in the Classroom and began the trip down Route 66.

Washita County 4-H had twenty campers, five counselors, and three sponsors that participated in the Multi-County 4-H Camp at Quartz Mountain State Park May 31st-June 2nd. Participants enjoyed attending educational workshops and other activities such as swimming and the fun park.

“I’ve been here seven years and this will be the toughest one yet,” expressed Wheeler Brothers Manager Andy Davis. Wheat harvest is now underway as farmers in local and surrounding areas have begun to harvest their crop.

Washita County farmer Monte Nickel delivered the first load of wheat of the season to the Bessie Farmer’s COOP. Pictured with Monte (right) is COOP Manager Randy Wanzer (left) Test weight was 55 and moisture was 12%. Nickel cut this wheat from a field 4 1/2 miles east of Bessie.

For the first time since 2019, the halls of the Oklahoma State Capitol were filled with green on April 12 as more than 100 4-H’ers from across the state, as well as Langston University, took part in the 23rd annual State 4-H Day at the Capitol.